Rubber boot



` UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH D. THOMAS, OF SOUTH FRAMINGHAM, MASSACHUSETTS'.

RUBBER Boor.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 382,498, dated May 8,1888.

n Application filed December l, 1887. Serial No.' 256,484. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH'D. THOMAS, of

Y South Framingham, Middlesex county, Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rubber Boots, of which the following is a specification.

My invention aims to furnish rubber boots ywhich shall have a more agreeable anddressy appearance, combined with greater lightness and other useful qualities, and which shall bet-V a layer of some dressy cloth or textile fabric cemented to the inner layer and joined tightly at the base with the rubber layers of thevamp or foot portion, and around the top of this cloth leg is afiixed au edging of fur, which p rojects both outwardlyandinwardl y,and thereby closes the top of the boot around the wearers leg and better protects the same. By these means I form a rubber boot which has several important advantages over the old construction, as hereinafter fully set forth.

In the drawings annexed, Figure 1 gives an elevation of my improved rubber boot; and Fig. 2 is a fragmentary vertical section of the leg, in which my improvement ehietly lies. Fig. 3 is a partial cross-section of the leg.

In the drawings, A indicates the foot portion, and B the leg portion, of the boot, which in .shape or form are presumed to be of the ordinary design.

The foot portion A is made of rubber and cloth layers, in the usual manner, which is well yknown and needs no description here, as it forms no part of my invention. The exterior layer, `g h, of the foot is of course all rub-y ber, and it extends over or upon the leg-part just below and around the ankles, as usual, rising higher in front-and lback than at the sides, as seen in Fig. l.

The leg B, I make of an external layer, c, of some dressy cloth or other textile fabric, preferably cashmerette, botany cloth, diagonal,or, in some cases, a fine quality of felt cloth. rllhe interior of the leg, as seen in Figs. 2 and 3,

consists, as usual, of a layer, d, of some warm Y prefer to spread a thin film of rubber, preferablyvulcanizable, on the inner face ofthe external cloth layer, c, and a similar film on the outer face of the inner layer, d, which thus unite firmly when the two layers are put .to-

gether and form a thin impervious layer f' rubber between the two cloth layers, as indicated at f in Figs. 2 and 3. If desired, the rubber film may be spread on the face of one layer only, but it is best to spread it on the meetingqfaces of both layers, as described. The two layers of the leg are lapped andjoined at the back of the leg, as indicated in Fig. 3, and in the usual well-known manner, which therefore needs no description. rlhe lining or inner fleece layer, d, extends not only all down the leg, but also inside the foot, and is lasted over the edge of the insole'in the wellknown way, which it is not thought necessary to illustrate. The Outer cloth layer, c, however, extends down a little way under the edge of the outer rubber layer of the foot or vamp, as indicated by dotted-lines in Fig. 1. This outer cloth layer will preferably never extend farther under the vamp g in front `than -to the swell of the instep, and it may extend down on the quarters and heel h as far as the edge of the sole, as indicated by the dotted lines; butin some cases itmay extend down farther and be lasted over the edge of the insole, if desired.'

'Ihe outer rubber layers of the foot or vamp are of course cemented firmly on the'cloth,

and when the boot is vulcanized all t-he layers are firmly united and bound together.

In some cases the outer cloth layer, c, may

lmalte a butt-j oint with the edge of the rubber foot-layers g h; but the underlapping joint shown is preferred. Now, around thetop of this double-layered cloth leg is secured a bind- ,ing or edging of fur, 7c, which is so put on and stitched, as seen in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, as t0 not only protrude or overhang on the exterior, but also protrude or overhang on the interior, and

YOO

partly close up the tube or entrance of theleg, `as fully shown in Figs. 2 and 3.

First it will be noted that the improved boot has a continuous tubular leg made of an inner and an outer layer of cloth joined by a thin intervening layer of rubber. It will be also seen that the external layer of cloth renders the appearance of the boot much more dressy and agreeable to the eye and more pleasant to the touch than is the case with the ordinary rubber leg, and thus forms a much more salable article. Furthermore,tl1e striking together of the legs in walking is attended with much less friction than is the case with the rubber legs, in which the adhesion or friction is much greater than is the case with cloth, and is often accompanied by an unpleasant eringing sound, which becomes completely softened or muffled with the cloth legs.

Another great advantage of the cloth-legged boot is that it is much more pleasant to Wear and draws77 much less than the boots with the rubber legs, and gives out little or none of the rubber odor.

It will be seen that iu my improved boot the looseness or opening at the top is closed up by the inwardly-projecting rim of fur7 7c, which embraces the leg all around the top of the boot in the manner of a gland or valve, thus not only better protecting the leg from the cold, but cffectually preventing the splashlng ln'of snow or Wet, which is an Important consideration for ladies and childrens wear, for which the boot is specially adapted. At the sa1ne time the fur guard described will permit the free ventilation of the boot through the interstices of the fur, and will also admit the free insertion or removal of the leg as readily as 1s the casein the common boot. Besides these advantages, the fur greatly improves the appearance of the boot exteriorly. Any soft fibrous substance like fur can, of course, be substituted for the fur guard k.

That I claim is- As an improved article of manufacture, a rubber boot having a rubber foot part, -a .leg formed of the inner and outer cloth layers, cd, andinterveuing rubberlayer,f,and a furguard, k, secured to the cloth layers at the top edge ofthe boot and overlapping said edge and extending upon both the inside and outside thereof, substantially as described.

JOSEPH D. THOMAS.

Witnesses:

JN0. E. GAvIN,

Gnus. M. HIGGINs. 

